Patty L's TealogPatty L's tealog on Steepsterhttp://steepster.com/
Vata Ayurvedic from DAVIDsTEADavidsTea used to have a tea called "Vata Ayurvedic" that was phenomenal but it was discontinued for about a year and this current one was introduced. I don't like it - it's too spicy (from the ginger) and citrusy and I don't find it calming at all. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:17:55 -0500/teas/Vata%20Ayurvedic/12186-vata-ayurvedic?note=67255
Vata Organic from TeaGschwendnerI love this tea - it's like a warm glass of serenity. The licorice imparts a natural sweetness and the anise gives it a little warmth. If you don't like licorice root in your tea then you won't like this at all, but if you do you have to give this a try. It's phenomenal! Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:20:06 -0500/teas/Vata%20Organic/16938-vata-organic?note=67257
Love Tea #7 from DAVIDsTEAFirst impression of this tea: it tastes like chocolate-covered strawberries. With each sip I detect another note - the bitterness from the black tea, a bit of astringency, the fruitiness of the strawberries. This makes for a nice dessert tea and I don't need to add sugar to it. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:22:40 -0500/teas/Love%20Tea%20%237/15693-love-tea-number-7?note=67259
Cherry Blossom from DAVIDsTEAThis is a nice, light tea and the cherry flavour is not too strong or overpowering. In fact there is a nice floral quality to this tea. I like it but my housemate said it tasted like those red lollipops you get from the dentist so try it and see? Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:25:25 -0500/teas/Cherry%20Blossom/12068-cherry-blossom?note=67263
Exotica from DAVIDsTEAHot or iced this tea is amazing! I usually don't sweeten my teas but this is phenomenal with a touch of agave/sugar/honey to bring out more of the fruit flavours. It's like a lemongrass chai and I make myself a cup of this whenever I'm in the mood for chai but don't want caffeine. This is one of the teas that I keep with me when I travel because I can drink it anytime, on it's own or after a meal. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:29:05 -0500/teas/Exotica/1512-exotica?note=67265
Cream of Earl Grey (organic) from DAVIDsTEAI bought this for my boyfriend (who loves Earl Grey) because it seemed smelled lovely and I was willing to give it a try. I usually don't like Earl Grey tea, but I love this one! The vanilla adds a smoothness and richness and this tea doesn't have the astringency that I usually associate with strong black tea. The bergamot is not too strong and there is a slight note of caramel. With a touch of milk and sugar this tea is fantastic. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:37:52 -0500/teas/Cream%20of%20Earl%20Grey%20(organic)/16479-cream-of-earl-grey-organic?note=67266
Coco Chai Rooibos from DAVIDsTEAI'm in the minority here - but I can't stand this tea! I thought it was something I was doing wrong so I ordered a Coco Chai Rooibos Tea Latté at a David's Tea store hoping they'd do something differently to make it suddenly amazing - alas, it is not to be.
There is a spicy-chai-ness to this tea but the undertone tastes really unpleasant to me. To me, this tastes like when I've blown my nose and gotten mucus in my mouth... I usually love rooibos teas but this one is a disappointment to me.Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:47:58 -0500/teas/Coco%20Chai%20Rooibos/15697-coco-chai-rooibos?note=69149
Green & Fruity from DAVIDsTEAI adore this tea. Everyone I let try this one adores this tea! It's a naturally sweet green rooibos with big chunks of apple and papaya fruit in it. The fruit flavour comes through nicely when this tea is steeped and it is very aromatic. It only gets better the longer it steeps and I like that it's caffeine free so I can have this any time of day. This is my go-to teas when I want something fruity (but not berry-based). Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:53:05 -0500/teas/Green%20&%20Fruity/11672-green-and-fruity?note=69151
Mother's Little Helper (organic) from DAVIDsTEAI keep this in my travel bag because when I'm on a trip and my body is telling me it's 2pm but the local time is 2am I want a natural way to help me sleep. This tea really does the trick - but I hate the taste of it! It has a bitterness to it (from the Valerian root), combined with the chamomile and the lemongrass it makes a very weird combination. But I drink up it because Mother knows best! Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:06:32 -0400/teas/Mother's%20Little%20Helper%20(organic)/15433-mothers-little-helper-organic?note=70766
Mr. Ollivander's Magic Potion from TeaGschwendnerThis tea takes a bit of getting used to since it's not very fruity or sweet but is not to be underestimated. It's a bit tart and sour, with an edge of lemongrass and a slightly floral-minty finish - so to put it simply, it's weird! I keep a 150g tin of this in my tea pantry at all times and start to worry when I'm running low - why? Because when I need a caffeine-free cold remedy this is my go to tea! It's soothing for sore throats and is packed with vitamins and other good things and gets me on the road to recovery ASAP! For that alone I would rate this 100%, but I realize that not everyone will be fond of the taste so I've given it a more "honest" rating.Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:10:38 -0400/teas/Mr.%20Ollivander's%20Magic%20Potion/19044-mr-ollivanders-magic-potion?note=72442
Tealish from Mango AmbrosiaI love mangoes so I knew that I would enjoy this tea from the get-go. After a couple of minutes of steeping it brews up into a golden-straw colored tea. This is a lovely floral white tea with hits of mango, peach and a hint of citrus and it is to die for! I add a touch of agave syrup or white sugar (depending on what's available at home or the office) and it really brings out the fruit flavors. The aroma is mesmerizing and this makes an amazing iced tea! This tea can be steeped a second time - it's not quite as mango-y but you taste more of the subtle peach and muscatel notes of the white tea.Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:51:24 -0400/teas/Tealish/19083-tealish?note=72554
The Skinny (organic) from DAVIDsTEAI've had this sitting in my tea pantry for over 8 months and finally decided to try it today.
As a loose tea this smells like a creamy, orange-y black tea with a tiny bit of ginger spiciness but it brews up very mellow and you don't taste the pu'erh too much (which is a good thing since I'm not particularly fond of pu'erh). I can't really describe the flavour since it's not too distinct but I don't find it as citrusy as other reviewers have commented. I let this steep for a good 7 minutes to get the full flavour and beautiful colour out and it can easily been steeped a second time. I like this after a heavy, greasy meal - I feel like it helps rinse some of the grease out of my system.Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:48:03 -0400/teas/The%20Skinny%20(organic)/8625-the-skinny-organic?note=72560
Blazing Strawberries from DAVIDsTEAThu, 02 Jun 2011 14:55:05 -0400/teas/Blazing%20Strawberries/19691-blazing-strawberries?note=77692
Fujian White Rose from The Tea EmporiumLovely light white tea, with a mild hint of rose. It's quite subtle but very beautiful. I usually can't stand rose flavoured anything, but this tea is quite enjoyable because it is so mild. If you wanted to, you could toss in a few rose buds to make the rose flavour more intense.
This tea is perfect naked, without sugar or sweetener. It's good for a second steeping if you are in the mood for a standard white tea, since most of the rose aroma will have faded. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:42:35 -0500/teas/Fujian%20White%20Rose/21749-fujian-white-rose?note=101856
Fujian White Rose from The Tea EmporiumTue, 07 Feb 2012 16:50:11 -0500/teas/Fujian%20White%20Rose/21749-fujian-white-rose?note=101857
Pure Happiness from TeaGschwendnerI was drawn to this tea on the shelf of a TG shop in Germany - the name was so catchy ("Zum Glücklichsein") that I picked up a bag to try. It is a delightful, light, minty tea. It's a nice change from regular peppermint tea, and has a light floral finish to it. This is a lovely tea on a cold winter evening. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:48:03 -0500/teas/Pure%20Happiness/16770-pure-happiness?note=102904
Southern Belle from DAVIDsTEAI was ensnared by the beautiful description of this peach-flavoured black tea, but sadly I was disappointed.
After steeping for the recommended 4 minutes, the tea brewed up a murky. medium rusty orange. The murkiness is due to the dissolved yogurt drops, and leaves a soap-scum type film at the top of the cup (and I use filtered water).
The taste is extremely mild, with only the slightest hint of peach, not nearly as lush as the description would suggest. I'm not a fan of the aftertaste the stevia imparts.
Also because of the yogurt "scum" I have to give my metal strainer & my pot a very thorough wash afterwards.Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:22:26 -0500/teas/Southern%20Belle/21561-southern-belle?note=104970
Ginger Pear from TealishI don't drink black teas very often, but when I need a bit of a caffeine kick this is one of my go-to teas. I like that it has a little bit of a ginger kick, and a slight fruity finish. It is very aromatic, and it does remind me a bit of mulled cider but you don't really taste the cinnamin. I don't need to add sweetener to it and it can be re-steeped a second time. Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:04:26 -0500/teas/Ginger%20Pear/17985-ginger-pear?note=106055
Mr. Ollivander's Magic Potion from TeaGschwendnerSun, 11 Mar 2012 00:09:03 -0500/teas/Mr.%20Ollivander's%20Magic%20Potion/19044-mr-ollivanders-magic-potion?note=106056
Cold 911 (organic) from DAVIDsTEAI love strong mints. I think "Altoids" mints are an absolute joke, and don't find them curiously strong at all. I'm crazy about Super-Mints that you can get from MUJI (a Japanese company) and if I had to compare Cold 911 to other pitiful mint teas that I've had, this is the "Super-Mint" of all mint teas.
The dry leaves smell amazing because of the eucalyptus and it is just as fabulous when it is steeped. There is a tiny hint of citrus, but only a bit. The juniper berries don't really add anything to the tea, but it amuses me since it makes me think of Gin when I see them floating around (The French name for juniper is genévrier, from which Gin's name is derived).
When I have a cold this tea is extremely soothing and the fact that it is caffeine free means that if I want to drink 10 cups a day, I can without getting jittery. It also makes an excellent after-dinner tea.
In an attempt to change this tea up a bit, I added half a teaspoon of pure licorice root (a rare find that I came upon in a teashop a year ago) and it makes this tea absolute magic! If you can get your hands on pure licorice, I highly recommend trying it - it brings out the citrus notes a bit more and I could go on drinking pots and pots of this mix.Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:14:48 -0400/teas/Cold%20911%20(organic)/18154-cold-911-organic?note=106585
Strawberry Ginger from DAVIDsTEAThe description of this made me extremely curious to try this out, since I'm always on the hunt for fruity, caffeine-free teas. A friend of mine told me that this one was delightful, so I ordered 100g and had high hopes.
The smell of the dry leaves is of ginger, with fruity background, not too much of strawberry. If it brewed up the way it smelled, I would be very pleased. The colour of this when steeped is a very pretty raspberry colour. The brewed tea has a funny aroma to it, that I identify with "artificial watermelon candy" (like watermelon Jolly Ranchers, which for the record, I detest!).
On the first sip I got a shock to my tastebuds because it is extremely tart! I should have expected this since this tea is rosehip and hibiscus based, and the tartness combined with the lemon myrtle gives this tea a very citrus-y feel. I think most of the shock was that I was expecting a sweet, strawberry taste and got the polar opposite. I don't taste any spiciness from the ginger at all.
I added a touch of agave syrup to the tea to take the tart edge off, and although it did bring out the ginger more in the flavour profile, I can't say that I enjoy this tea. There's a funny aftertaste that I can't quite put my finger on and I can't stomach the idea of polishing off 100g of this.
I think if I'm in the mood for a strawberry tea, I'll stick to Blazing Strawberries from David's Tea. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:19:01 -0400/teas/Strawberry%20Ginger/25666-strawberry-ginger?note=106766
Licorice Twist from DAVIDsTEAI don't like black licorice candy, but I love licorice root in my herbal teas so I was very eager to try this new tea from David's Tea.
The overall flavour profile reminds me of the original Vata Ayurvedic tea David's used to carry 3 years ago (not the current one with the rose petals and chamomile in it), which in my opinion was the Vata Organic from Tea Gschwendner. The licorice flavour is actually quite subtle in this tea, but the anise and fennel compliment it quite nicely. The chili pepper is an interesting addition and adds a gentle kick to this. The mint is very subtle and I certainly can't detect any pineapple. I prefer a stronger licorice flavour so I use 2 heaping teaspoons when I brew this.
If you believe in traditional Chinese medicine, this is a "hot" beverage, and too much of this would definitely through your "balance" off.Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:15:01 -0400/teas/Licorice%20Twist/23572-licorice-twist?note=106775
Oh Canada! from DAVIDsTEAThe aroma of this rooibos tea is glorious! It's maple, caramel and so wonderful. The candy sprinkles don't completely dissolve, they turn into colourful blobs (even after two infusions) making this a fun tea for kids. It's not to sweet and is lovely without any added sugar.
On the second infusion, the maple flavour is much less noticeable but it's still a nice-bodied rooibos tea. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:09:41 -0400/teas/Oh%20Canada!/12314-oh-canada?note=108413
Chai On Life from DAVIDsTEASadly this one smells better than the brewed tea tastes. The dry tea smells wonderful of pepper, lemongrass, ginger, cardamom and a bit of coconut.
After steeping it was a lovely pale yellow liquor. The tea is very light, in fact if it weren't for the slightly astringent aftertaste I would have thought this was flavoured water. The main note is cinnamon, with a touch of ginger and that is about all that I can discern once the tea is brewed.
When cooled down completely I can taste the lemongrass a bit more but overall this tea is not impressive for me to buy a big tin. I'll finish the 25g sampler I bought at the store and that's about it.Tue, 28 Jan 2014 15:44:09 -0500/teas/Chai%20On%20Life/43012-chai-on-life?note=219617
Chai On Life from DAVIDsTEATue, 28 Jan 2014 15:48:53 -0500/teas/Chai%20On%20Life/43012-chai-on-life?note=219619
Coconut Almond Rooibos from NikaidoThree simple components to this tea: rooibos, coconut and almond and they are perfection. The balance of each is just right! Although the package says there are rose blossoms, they are purely decorative because there aren't enough in the loose-leaf tea to add any flavour.
The loose tea smells very sweet, almost syrupy but don't let that put you off. Once brewed this tea is nutty, smooth and delicious. The colour is a vibrant brick red and the brew is actually a bit cloudy, which I attribute to the coconut and almond oils.
Be sure to give your pot and strainer a good wash with soap afterwards! I left this tea in a vacuum flask once and the oils went rancid - it was not a fun task to clean afterwards.
I believe 80g is the smallest bag that Nikaido sells. Tue, 28 Jan 2014 18:02:08 -0500/teas/Coconut%20Almond%20Rooibos/43758-coconut-almond-rooibos?note=219656
Thé Jardin Bleu Royal from LaduréeWed, 10 Feb 2016 17:18:48 -0500/teas/Th%C3%A9%20Jardin%20Bleu%20Royal/23359-the-jardin-bleu-royal?note=328487